Eastern Illinois University The Keep Fall 2016 2016 Fall 8-15-2016 ENG 3405-001: Children's Literature Fern Kory Eastern Illinois University Follow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_fall2016 Recommended Citation Kory, Fern, "ENG 3405-001: Children's Literature" (2016). Fall 2016. 57. http://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_fall2016/57 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 2016 at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Fall 2016 by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Professor Fern Kory ENG 3405, Fall 2016 office: Coleman Hall 3365 Office Hours: M 1-2:30, T 12-1:30; W 9-10 (mailbox across the hall) & by appointment *e-mail: [email protected] phone: 581.6291 English 3405: Children's Literature MWF 12:00 - 12:50 Coleman Hall 3691 • TEXTBOOK Essentials of Children's Literature (ECL) 7th ed., Lynch-Brown & Tomlinson TRADE BOOKS Picture Books Sam's Cookie, Lindgren (illus. Eriksson) Last Stop on Market Street, de la Pena (illus. Robinson) The Lion and the Mouse, Pinkney This ls Not My Hat, Klassen Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak Knuffle Bunny,Willems Down, Down, Down, Jenkins Easy Readers We Are in a Book!, Willems Frog and Toad Together, Lobel Chapter Books Charlotte's Web, White (illus. Williams) Locomotion, Woodson El Deafo, Bell Ella Enchanted, Levine +self-selected books Course Overview The audience for "children's literature" is usually defined as birth to age twelve. Accordingly, we will start with books for the youngest readers (picture books) and end with novels. At all points we will be looking at the "whole book" - from cover to endpapers - keeping in mind a point made by the author of Reading Picture Books with Children: "meaning doesn't exist in the book or in the reader, but in the space between them." Since adults often occupy the space between child readers and their books, we will also talk about various ways reading is or can be an interactive experience. Final Exam Wednesday December 14 12:30 - 2:30 Professor Kory. English 3405: Children's Literature page2 Learning Goals • Awareness and appreciation of the broad range of classic and contemporary works written or published specifically for children • Awareness of historical developments related to this literature and understanding of the varied cultural contexts in which it has been produced • Familiarity with characteristics of the genre of children's literature: fiction and non-fiction, fantasy and realism, and sub-genre (animal fantasy, historical fiction) • Familiarity with features of the distinctive formats of children's literature, including picture book, "easy reader" or transition book, graphic narrative, novel · or "chapter book," and informational book • Understanding of the terminology used to describe, discuss, and evaluate children's literature in different genre and formats • Awareness of the role of design (size, shape, layout) and paratextual elements (cover, endpapers, etc.) in books for young people • Understanding of the interaction of oral, visual, and textual elements in works of children's literature in different genre and formats • Attentiveness to the strategies used by authors and illustrators to accommodate the abilities, schema, interests, identities, and desires of their intended audiences • Development and application of criteria for evaluation of children's literature that takes into account its literary qualities, reader appeal, ideology, cultural authority, rhetorical purposes, and potential uses (instruction, entertainment) • Experience analyzing and evaluating children's literature for a variety of · audiences in a variety of written and oral forms • Productive use of the print and electronic resources available to scholars and professionals who work with youth literature in fields such as English Studies, Education, and Library & Information Science. These include reference books, articles in peer-reviewed journals & books, review journals, biogs, and web-sites • Exploration of issues and controversies in youth literature from a variety of perspectives: professional, personal, political, practical, philosophical Professor Kory, English 3405: Children's Literature page 3 Tentative Schedule of Readings & Assignments Week 1 - August 22, 24, 26 M Introductions Please post a personal Introduction on D2L before our next class meeting. Who are you? How are you? What experiences with child readers and children's literature do you bring to class? Anything else you'd like to tell us (hobby, fun fact) or advertise (teams or clubs)? W Read the picture book Knuffle Bunny. Also read "Teaching New Readers to Love Books" by Robin Smtth (handout). "Annotate" the essay by highlighting key passages (1-2 per page) and commenting in the margins, labeling stages of Smith's development as a reader and a teacher, comparing your experiences to hers, responding to her beliefs about child readers and children's literature. -7Always bring books + other assigned readings to class for our discussion F Read "Children, Children, What Do You See?" by Megan Dowd Lambert (handout), plus the interview with her in School Library Journal (available in "Assigned Readings" on D2L). Re-read Knuffle Bunny. Ask yourself the basic VST questions as you move from the front cover to the back. Describe some things this helps you notice about the story and Willems' story1elling. D2L: Exploring Picture Books using VTS Select two passages from Lambert's essay or one from the essay and one from the interview. Quote her words and then respond to what Lambert says based on your knowledge and experience. In what ways does her approach make sense to you? To what extent does your experience support her ideas? (Provide specific examples if possible.) What questions do you have about this approach? Select one page of Knuffle Bunny to explore and discuss in detail. Week 2 - August 29 & 31, September 2 M Begin reading about "Picture Books" (ch. 5: pp. 81-91) in Essentials of Children's Literature (ECL). Also read The Lion and the Mouse, Last Stop on Market Street, and This Is Not My Hat. D2L: Words + Pictures To prepare for our discussion, write about one or two "spreads" in This is Not My Hat, On Market Street, OR The Lion and the Mouse. You can choose a spread with separate illustrations on facing pages - one on the "verso" (left) and one on the "recto" (right) - OR a "double-page spread" with one illustration that crosses the "gutter" between recto and verso ... or some interesting variation on those basic layouts. Talk about what's going on in the illustrations - and the things you see that contribute to your "reading" of this part of the story. Also talk about the relationship of words and pictures in these spreads. What aspects of the story (characterization, setting, ploUaction, theme) are readers told about in the text? Which aspects are they shown? Finally, consider the use of at least one of the visual elements discussed in ECL 5. How does the illustrator's use of line, shape, color, or texture contribute to the meaning or impact of this page? W Meet in the Ballenger Teacher Center at Booth Library- Bring your Panther Card! D2L: Exploring Horn Book magazine Starting with the front cover and ending with the back cover, browse through your July/August issue of Horn Book with the goal of finding the parts that interest you and figuring out how it might be useful to you right now or in the future, personally or professionally. In your post, describe and discuss specific features of the magazine (articles, ads, illustrations, etc.) that look interesting or useful to you--and explain why. Read "Last Stop, First Steps" (p. 11) by Roger Sutton, the editor of Horn Book OR "The Year in Pictures" by Julie Danielson (p. 16) and at least two more articles, columns, or features. Let us know why you chose these articles and what you got out of them. Finally, browse the book review section at the back, reading all (or most) of the reviews for picture Professor Kory, English 34 05: Children's Literature page4 books; feel free to browse the other review sections. Comment on the style and content of these reviews. Quote two lines from a review made a particular book interesting to you. F Read both books you checked out from the Ballenger Teacher Center picture book collection. Read them silently and then again out loud. In a D2L post, briefly summarize and describe each book so anyone reading your post knows what the book is about (its focus) and what its like (appeal factors, artistic and textual style). Then point out some of the features of this book that might make it a good picture book read aloud for one or more readers. Finally, point out and explain potential problems or challenges or opportunities. Bring both books to class. Week 3 - September [5], 7, 9 [M] Labor Day - no classes *Extra Credit (up to 10 points): Evaluate a Review Journal - Due before class on Friday W Read EGL 2: pp. 20-30 only. Bookmark a passage you have something to say about; Read and annotate "Have Book Bag Will Travel," identifying interesting or useful points. While you're at it, review previously assigned readings about picture books and read alouds, looking for inspiration and quotations you might be able to use in your essay. Bring self-selected read aloud to class. F Meet in the Ballenger Teacher Center (BTC) On D2L, post an updated list of the features of your book that seem most significant, and spell out any questions you have about it. During class time in the BTC, you will be introduced to electronic resources used by librarians, teachers, critics and scholars who work with children's literature. You will leave with a selection of reviews so you can see what experienced professionals had to say about your book.